The Bus Ride Home
by DRUMLINEpaco
Summary: Thoughts from two POVs on a bus ride home...*sigh*


The Bus Ride Home  
  
  
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A/N: Yep...not much to say about this one, except that I wrote it in BCIS and school while blowing off schoolwork...yay XD  
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Michelle sighed. Band competitions were always so exhausting.  
  
She was falling asleep against Tanner's shoulder, as she usually did on  
long band bus rides home. 7th place again...was the state of mind surrounding  
her, and she had to admit that the 7th place from not an hour ago that had  
been bestowed upon Oakland High School had been haunting her mind until just  
now. Now she thought only of Tanner...  
  
She knew that she loved Tanner more than a friend, but less than a lover.  
What that meant, she didn't know. Rebecca had been getting so uptight lately  
about allowing Tanner to go places with other girls, especially Michelle.  
She felt as if she had lost one of her best friends.  
  
Michelle sighed, opening her eyes. She glanced over at Tanner, whose eyes  
were still shut. She assumed that he had fallen asleep, and a smile crept  
onto her face. He's so cute when he's asleep, she thought to herself. Almost  
immediately, she discouraged the thought. You're supposed to be his best  
friend, and here you are smiling at him like he's a little puppy, she scolded  
herself. She leaned against his shoulder and attemptd to fall asleep. There  
was still an hour or more left on this bus ride.  
  
  
Tanner shifted in his seat. He found it difficult to adjust to Michelle  
resting on his shoulder, without waking her up. If she was asleep in the  
first place, that is. He opened his eyes and glanced down at the trumpet  
player, looking much less intimidating than when out on the field. Tanner  
sighed, smirking. Is that really the same irritated trumpet section leader  
that just marched a complicated marching show making sure to look pissed  
off the whole time? He almost wanted to laugh. What a paradox. Michelle was  
so intimidating on the field, never missing a note in performance, and keeping  
the lesser trumpeters in line at practices. Now, asleep on his shoulder,  
she was almost like a little sister, tired after a long day and wanting nothing  
more than to sleep, comforted by her big brother.  
  
  
Michelle's eyes opened partway. Why did she think this way? Tanner's always  
been a brother to me, she pondered, so why now do I start seeing him differently?  
This frustrated her. If she did have a small crush on Tanner, she normally  
wouldn't have any problem with admitting it and would probably flirt openly.  
But it was different: it was Tanner. Her brother, her ani, and Rebecca's  
boyfriend of nearly a year...  
  
  
So she's awake? Tanner noticed. He wondered what she was thinking, because  
she obviously wasn't sleeping.  
  
"7th place again, huh?" he inquired, assuming that she still hadn't gotten  
over not making the top 5.  
  
"Huh?" Michelle appeared to have woken up from a trance. "Er, yeah," she  
said quietly, as if that was not the true answer. Tanner didn't like to nag,  
so he left it alone. He sighed, looking forward out of the windshield of  
the bus a few rows up, because his an Michelle's garment bags and uniforms  
were hanging, from their own bus window. He really did care about Michelle,  
but he knew that the friendship-love he felt would never grow, for he was  
with Rebecca, and had been for quite a while. Nothing could ever be between  
him and Michelle. He sat up straighter at this thought. Why did I think of  
it like that? Nothing could ever be? It's not like I want anything to happen...he  
looked at Michelle. For the first time, he saw her in a different light.  
She was, well, female. Her black hair shone in the moonlight beaming in through  
the window. He watched as she slightly rose and fell with every breath. She  
was indeed pretty...No! Tanner could have slapped himself. What am I thinking?!  
he shook his head. I'm just tired and delusional, he thought, smirking at  
himself.  
  
  
That was a lie, she blatantly told herself. Although I really did want to  
make top 5 this time. I thought we would for sure. She had the sudden urge  
to put her arms around Tanner and fall asleep that way. It would make her  
feel so much better. He wouldn't approve, however, and she knew that. Sadness  
filled her heart. Once again, she found a way to blame everything on the  
band director, Mr. Andrews, who had selected a sophomore as head drum major,  
and had overlooked Rebecca completely. If it wasn't for him, none of this  
would have happened. Rebecca would be drum major, she would be the one here  
sleeping on Tanner's shoulder, and I...her thoughts stopped. Where would  
she be? Tanner was her best friend in band, and quite frankly, the only band  
person she truly spent time with. She opened her eyes again and looked up  
at Tanner. To her surprise, she made eye contact.  
  
  
Ack, she woke up, Tanner thought. She's gonna wonder why I was looking at  
her.  
  
"Mornin', Michelle."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
A long moment passed. Tanner forced himself to move him eyes away. He could  
feel his cheeks burning and was thankful for the hour and the lack of light  
it provided. Starlight and moonlight did not well reflect his blushing face.  
He felt a hand rest itself on his left arm, the one closest to Michelle.  
If his face was pink before, it was now turning magenta.  
  
"You alright?" Michelle asked him, a look of sadness or concern outlining  
her features. She always knows when something's wrong with me, he thought,  
a smile finding it's way onto his face.  
  
Tanner sighed, making eye contact again. "Yeah. It's nothing. I just spaced  
out, that's all."  
  
Michelle smiled. "That tends to happen on band busses. Especially after  
7th place. Again."  
  
"Tell me about it," Tanner responded, quite content to be having a normal  
conversation again to break the awkward silence. "We could have gotten 6th  
or even 8th, but no, the judges thought they'd have a laugh with irony and  
give us 7th again..."  
  
"...when they know that we deserve first," Michelle finished his sentance  
with him. Tanner smiled and laughed silently. Michelle felt the air from  
Tanner's breath on her face, and that's when she realized how close they  
were. When did that go down? she thought. Not that she wasn't comfortable  
with that, but she knew it was't right, and thought to sit up and back a  
bit, but her body didn't follow her mind's command.  
  
There was another silence after this synchronized thought. They were looking  
at each other, more in a frightened and fascinated way than waiting for someone  
to speak. Neither of them wanted to be the first to look away, but they always  
didn't want to be the one left still looking. They were inches from each  
other, but something was holding them back as well.  
  
Michelle said at length, in an unintended whisper, "So what are we doing?"  
hoping that her best friend would have an answer. Tanner sighed.  
  
"We're falling in love." 


End file.
